It's wonderful to hear people's stories of Christmases past, and we're pleased that so many members of our congregation have taken the time to share them with us. Enjoy these stories of Christmas surprises, from Bernette Burnley and Ann Smith.
One of my fondest memories of Christmas is from when I was in my twenties. I had left New Brunswick for a job in Alberta in November, knowing that I would not be able to return home for Christmas. It would be my first Christmas away!
As Christmas time approached, I was feeling sad that I would not be with my family for the Holidays! Two weeks before Christmas, I received a call from a delivery company saying that a parcel would be arriving for me. I thought perhaps my family had sent some Christmas gifts. To my delight and surprise, the “parcel” was a real Christmas tree from back home! My father was a Christmas tree grower who shipped his trees to the eastern United States, and this one he had shipped to me all the way to Alberta.
My roommates at the time were as shocked as I was to see we had received a real tree! I bought a tree stand, and we had a party where friends came and we made all the decorations to trim the tree. It was a wonderful Christmas after all, as that tree was so full of love from my parents and siblings! A very memorable Christmas!
- Submitted by Bernette Burnley
"One Christmas Eve, we hosted a family gathering. A blanket of fluffy snow had just fallen to set a beautiful wintry scene. Our eldest opened the door to check on the snow, and with wide eyes turned to me slamming the door shut. “Mum, Santa is coming from next door.” “Well, invite him in” I said. Santa greeted everyone, to the surprise of all present including my husband, who knew nothing of this planned visit. No one was more delighted or more surprised than my father-in-law, who always loved Christmas."
The Christmas season brings with it an abundance of memories. From the excitement and anticipation that we felt as children to the joy of watching our own children and grandchildren at Christmas. But along with the happy memories, there are also those that are tinged with sadness and longing for those no longer with us. Here, Ann Deveau shares with us the pain of losing her beloved brother, finding a way to honour his memory and working her way back to a place of comfort and joy.
A tree filled with memories!
My brother absolutely loved Christmas.
Bob taught his little boys that it was the birthday of Jesus and always put up a nativity scene before he bought and decorated their Christmas tree. He chose gifts thoughtfully for family and friends, loved to munch on "chicken bones" candy while the turkey was roasting, and belted out off-key Christmas songs such as "Little Drummer Boy."
He died of cancer at age 45.
The first Christmas he was gone, I wondered how I would get through such an emotional time while grieving. He was my only sibling, and I missed him terribly.
A wise friend suggested that I do something special to honour Bob's memory, so I made a charitable donation of library books in his name. Nice but not enough.
Then an idea struck me. I would create a Bob tree!
I bought a two-foot artificial tree, some white lights, and started gathering ornaments meaningful to his life. For example, I hung tiny photos of his boys on the tree, a crocheted lighthouse because we're from Nova Scotia, a Boston Red Sox ornament because it was his favourite team, glittery red balls because he loved that colour, a miniature manger scene, a little drummer boy, a book because he was a voracious reader, a soccer ball ornament because he played and coached. Well, you get the idea!
That first Christmas without Bob, I sobbed as I placed each item on the little tree. The tears flowed annually for several years. I kept adding more Bob-specific ornaments. It became my ritual every December, and it brought me great comfort.
It still does. But now, after 22 years, I smile more than I cry as I trim the Bob tree.
- by Ann Deveau
Read another Christmas reflection about Ann and her brother, PA-RUM-PUM-PUM-PUM, which was shared in 2020.
The Christmas Season is upon us and with it comes memories of Christmases past. We have once again asked members of the congregation to share some of their favourite Christmas memories with us so that we can share them with you. We hope you will enjoy a little glimpse into the memories shared here and perhaps be encouraged to share yours as well.
“My favourite childhood memories revolve around Christmas Eve. There was a feeling of great anticipation in the house as we all got ready for the evening church service, which kicked off the festivities. It was exciting to get “dressed up” for a special outing. And although we’d had all day to get ready there was always a last-minute rush to get us four kids out the door and into the car. Inevitably, Dad had to stay back for a few minutes because he couldn’t find his keys, or his gloves, or his hat. It was only much later that I realized that he was busy putting gifts under the tree. You see, it was during the Christmas Eve service that Santa visited our house, as he brought gifts to help us celebrate Jesus’s birth. The service was filled with carols, and I remember looking forward to the next 'song' – some things don’t change! Upon returning home, we would dash to the living room to see whether Santa had arrived and we would be amazed at what was waiting for us. Mom would prepare a feast, and we would enjoy special treats. When we headed to bed, our hearts – and bellies – were full.”
- Submitted by Monique Gignac
“When I was about 7 years old, we moved from Saint John to Lower Lincoln. Our home church became St. John’s Anglican in Oromocto. We always attended the 'late service' Christmas Eve, and that alone, lent a special air to the evening. Being allowed to stay up 'till midnight was absolutely unheard of in any other circumstances! I can almost feel the giddy anticipation of getting dressed up in our finest and heading out with a quick visit to the living room to check out the Christmas tree and making sure it was unplugged. I remember the manger scene at the front of the church but most of all I remember singing my little heart out. There’s nothing like a Christmas carol to make me want to sing! And when the service was all over, I remember stepping outside into the frosty night air and being surrounded by folks exchanging hugs and sharing best wishes with each other. Such a strong all-encompassing feeling of warmth, of kinship, and excitement all rolled into one. And maybe, just maybe, there might have been a quick glance at the sky to check for possible sleighs, before getting in the car and heading home for the most exciting sleep of the year."
The Christmas Season is upon us and with it comes memories of Christmases past. We have once again asked members of the congregation to share some of their favourite Christmas memories with us so that we can share them with you. We hope you will enjoy a little glimpse into the memories shared here and perhaps be encouraged to share yours as well.
Christmas in the Deanery
Submitted by Ashley Walton Bird
"2021 was our first Christmas at the Deanery and the first Christmas together for John and me. We had a large Christmas party that year with our friends and family and it was one of my best Christmas memories to date. I can still hear the Christmas music and recall the delicious scent of the holiday desserts and appetizers. The best part was having everyone we love under one roof enjoying the togetherness of the Christmas Season."
Note: Ashley and John live in the former Deanery of the Cathedral, located between Christ Church Cathedral and Memorial Hall. They have been restoring the house, and you can see some photos of the interior below and on John's Instagram page, The Lost Loyalist.
We are pleased to welcome Darin Lewis as our new Cathedral Sexton. He began work on 01 October and has been working closely with the Property Committee and Cathedral staff members to learn about our buildings and programs.
He brings a wealth of experience to the position, along with a pleasant nature, lots of ideas, and a curiosity to learn. If you see him, please say hello and introduce yourself!
Originally born in PEI, Darin moved to Fredericton in the early ’70s and met the love of his life, Heather. They have two children, Connor and Kiana.
He has a background in maintenance and security, and looks forward to many years working with the Cathedral staff.
This story was shared by a member of our congregation, Andreas Decken.
Photo: Young servers assisting with worship in spring 2024. The crucifer is in the middle, holding the processional cross.
Sometime in the early 1990's, I was living in Hamilton, Ontario as a graduate student. One winter, I decided stay in Hamilton and not go home to Germany to visit friends and family as I usually did. That meant that I was going to spend Christmas by myself. Luckily, a friend of mine invited me to spend part of the holidays with her family. On Christmas Eve, we went to her Catholic church in Oakville, where her mother was very active.
Her Mom had a long conversation with the priest, who came over to greet me. He then told me that the cross bearer had not arrived yet and asked if I was willing to step into the role. Of course I agreed, and I actually thought that it would be rather funny for a Protestant boy to carry the cross at the Christmas procession in a Catholic church.
All was fine until the priest explained the details. He said, " Andreas, you know that I have to follow the cross no matter where you take it, so please do not walk out of the church as I will have no choice but to leave as well."
I was terrified of taking a wrong turn, but of course everything worked out well. It is one of those stories you never forget, and it is my "Story of the Cross".
- Andreas Decken, as told to Carol Ann Melvin
At the Cathedral, servers assist with a variety of duties during worship, including carrying the cross (the crucifer). Anyone interested in becoming a server (youth or adult) should contact the Cathedral Office or the Dean.
This summer, we are pleased to have Angus McDonell working as a Cathedral Tour Guide. He is working with Alex LeBlanc.
It’s my first time working as tour guide for the Cathedral and as a tour guide in general. I have been enjoying the work quite a lot. I love giving tours and learning the history of the Cathedral, for example, how it was built, who has been here, and so on.
I find the wide variety of people who come to visit to be quite impressive. You meet people from all over, with a lot of them travelling from Europe and Asia. You get to know them, and that’s fascinating. It’s surprising that there are so many people who come from around the world.
The tour that stood out the most for me was three weeks ago. I met a man, who grew up in the same town as my father. He was familiar with the Cathedral because of his former posting in Oromocto. During our conversation, we realized that we were third or fourth cousins! We were interested in a lot of the same things, and I found it really enjoyable getting to meet him.
It has been really great, working as a Cathedral tour guide. I am not part of the congregation, so previously, I had only been there a couple of times and never long enough to actually look around. However, it’s an incredible building with a lot to see. I found it quite interesting learning the Cathedral’s history, and I found it even more interesting being able to share the history.
This fall, I will continue working on my political science degree, and in the future, I am planning to go to law school.
Filip Vanicek grew up in the lap of luxury. He and his family enjoyed a country estate and an ornate, five-storey building in the heart of Prague where they lived, along with much of his extended family.
“Our family were academics and lawyers,” he said. “My childhood was phenomenal, absolutely fantastic — until the Russians came."
A member of our congregation, Helen Liang, grew up in China, and she sent us a few photos of Christmas there.
She says:
Christmas is an important festival in China. Most of the photos are of outdoor decorations, with only one image of a floating Christmas tree in a mall. Christmas is also the busiest time for the church, with various Christmas decorations in the church and various praise performances on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But Chinese people don't eat Turkey at Christmas. There is no specific Christmas dinner, sometimes we will book in advance to eat at a restaurant.
As Christmas time approached, I was feeling sad that I would not be with my family for the Holidays! Two weeks before Christmas, I received a call from a delivery company saying that a parcel would be arriving for me. I thought perhaps my family had sent some Christmas gifts. To my delight and surprise, the “parcel” was a real Christmas tree from back home! My father was a Christmas tree grower who shipped his trees to the eastern United States, and this one he had shipped to me all the way to Alberta.
